Lufthansa: BGH issues a ruling on Condor

Condor can get back on its feet

The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has decided in favor of the Condor airline. Lufthansa must now sell its stake to allow Condor to resume independent operations

The takeover of Condor by Lufthansa failed. On Thursday, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that Lufthansa must sell its stake. The court upheld a decision by the Bundeskartellamt, which had prohibited the takeover in 2019 on competition law grounds.

According to the court, Lufthansa's takeover would have created a dominant position in the German leisure travel market. Lufthansa would have had a market share of around 40 percent, while Condor's share would have been around 10 percent. This would have given Lufthansa the opportunity to push up prices and reduce service.

Condor can now continue operating independently. The sale of Lufthansa's stake could bring in around 300 million euros. The airline wants to use this money to repay debts.

Condor is one of the largest German leisure airlines. The company operates a fleet of around 50 aircraft and flies to around 90 destinations. In recent years, Condor has been struggling with financial difficulties. The takeover by Lufthansa was intended to help the airline get back on track.

However, the Bundeskartellamt had concerns about the takeover from the start. The authority argued that Lufthansa would gain too much power in the market. The BGH has now confirmed this assessment.

With the decision of the BGH, Condor can now get back on its feet. The sale of Lufthansa's stake will provide the airline with the necessary financial resources. Condor wants to use this money to repay debts and invest in the future.